Looking Ahead to 2004

While putting this miserable year behind usNovember and December are proving to be difficult, to say the least. However, analysts continue to rely heavily on scan data numbers which show the industry in November down 1.6%, according to IRI, while ACNeilsen, polling different stores, shows volume up 1.2%. We must remember, this is grocery only (about 20% of total beer sales), and perhaps more importantly, an ongoing grocery strike in S. California and a just-completed strike in the South essentially